Nissan’s Leaf Electric Vehicle

Nissan has finally come with an electric vehicle that separates itself from the other major manufacturers.  The Nissan Leaf was released late last year with a lithium-ion battery system which has a range of 100 miles.  The production version of this vehicle has already been released and should be available in mark.

The Leaf is the first electric vehicle on the market that offers both a fairly long range and affordable price.  Let’s take a look at some of the features of this vehicle:

• Battery: 24 kWh lithium ion battery
• Battery Life: 100 miles per charge
• Speed: Up to 90 miles per hour
• Seating: 5 seat hatchback
• Charge: Quick charge of 30 minutes at 440V / Full charge in standard US home, 8 hours
• Monitor: Dash mounted system monitor
• Cool Feature: Mobile connected to charge battery.
• Cost: $25,000 – $33,000

All these features cover the majority of American drivers today.  It may not be practical yet for a drive across the country, but it would cover most people.  The average driver doesn’t even get close to 90 mph and 100 miles is plenty for the daily commuter.

The Leaf recently won Green Car Journal’s Vision Award because of the practical pricing of this vehicle.  Unlike many of the other electric vehicles in America, it was able to achieve an affordable price, yet still get good speed and range.

There are still two major challenges that electric vehicles still have to face: better battery technology and charging stations.  Battery technology is constantly getting better, so that problem should resolve itself as times passes.  The bigger problem is to get charge stations set up throughout America.  Until that day comes, electric vehicles will not be the car of choice for the average commuter.

Source: Pays to Live Green

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